Need A Front Rest ?

S

Steve3

Guest
Time for a quality front rest. I need a rest to start to learn how to shoot off a bench properly. I also want this rest to help me zero in rifles and work up loads. I have shot shotgun and handgun for 15 years but I am new to serious rifle.

I have read a lot of archived posts on this and other sites but I still have to ask the question as much of the information I am finding is old.

It seems to me the Sinclair and Hart would be good choices. I know years ago Ransom also made a good front rest.

Any advice is appreciated.

Many thanks.
 
A good front rest and rear bag is very important. Everybody has a different, unique style of shooting. If possible I would recommend using some of the other shooters setups and make a decision. You can do what a lot of us have done and that is buy one and if you don't like it, buy another. I have had 2 Farleys, 2 Bald Eagles, and a Caldwell. I have replaced the tops on the Bald Eagles and Caldwell with custom tops.
Ransom made a good rest in the olden days, but it doesn't have a good bag setup and takes machine work to change the top out.
 
Thanks for getting back to me Butch.

That is how I have felt about this. I was going to start off with a Caldwell but I figured I might as well just get a little more to start out. The Sinclairs seem like they should do the job well and I have spoken to them on the telephone several times. I have read Hart also makes a good rest. And yes, since I don't find much regarding Ransom.

Bunny ear bag (18) in the back all bags with heavy sand.

Thanks again,
Steve
 
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Butch Lambert said:
A good front rest and rear bag is very important. Everybody has a different, unique style of shooting. If possible I would recommend using some of the other shooters setups and make a decision. You can do what a lot of us have done and that is buy one and if you don't like it, buy another. I have had 2 Farleys, 2 Bald Eagles, and a Caldwell. I have replaced the tops on the Bald Eagles and Caldwell with custom tops.
Ransom made a good rest in the olden days, but it doesn't have a good bag setup and takes machine work to change the top out.
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Hey Butch,
There is a company right there in Poetry called Shady Engineering or something like that. Anyway, they make a real good joy stick top the will fit your Bald Eagles and that Caldwell. You ought to look them up, you may be able to get a discount.
Jerry
 
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Thanks for the input regarding Shade Tree, looked at them already. Sure looks like quality.

FB- you are correct, get a mentor. I have mentored "many" on the trap field over the years so hopefully I will find a little payback now when I need it. I have kind of a mentor and he is helping me with rifle. He has an old rest, something between a Caldwell at $40. and a Sinclair at $300. He bought it 30 years ago, he is a woodchuck shooter and he has been getting me into that. That has been my intro to serious rifle. Believe me, I am not looking for another reason to spend more money on shooting, I am sure you understand my point. My club is mainly Clays/Skeet and Trap with a 200 meter range for hunters with their lead sleds getting ready for deer season. There is a serious benchrest club near by that is used for the State shoot among other competitions. Maybe the thing to do is just buy the Caldwell, sand some old shot bags and use that for now. It gets confusing as I am sure you are aware. I was already accepted to the serious club a few years back but declined because of their out of sight initiation fee , maybe I should pay them another consideration, at the very least see if I can attend a shoot as a spectator.

Best,Steve
 
Steve,

You had better get use to the idea of spending money. Think it through. There are between 3000-4000 shooters who shoot competitive, registered, benchrest, according to IBS, NBRSA, and Pennsylvania 1,000 yard membership numbers. I'm including centerfire group, score, and long range, but not rimfire. (different sanctioning bodies).

OK, if that's the total marketplace, anything specifically tailored for benchrest is going to be expensive. Do the math. If a product can be multi-purpose, then the larger production runs will lower the price, but the compromises in product will usually be higher.

You can shoot skeet with four 1100s, right? About $1200 for used-but-good back in the 1900s. So, why the Krieghoffs & Perazzis?
 
zippy06 said:
Jerry.
Here's the link. http://www.shadetreeea.com/Default.htm
You might want to look at the address.....
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That's funny right there:rolleyes: I have been looking at buying a rest and did a couple of day's ago, a JJ rest, I think I will like it, I also talked to Ken at Randolph machine, super great guy to talk to. Butch and I regulary comment on post over on accurate shooter and I was to dumb to realize he is shadetree, I shoot 1K mostly and hadn't considered a joystick, but butch sent me his number and I am going to call him in the next day or two when I get in early enough to, I think I may have room for two rests;) Steve I started off with the caldwell, I am glad I did, you have to learn how to drive the rifle because the rest doesn't help much, but I have done okay with it, but it's definitely time to move up or stop trying to compete. I haven't used a sinclair competition rest yet, they look good but you know the perfection won't be as good as someone like Butch or the other high end machinists are making. I have checked out just about every big name out there in the last few days and if I want a joy stick I would and probably will buy the shade tree because I could use it on my existing base, for conventional rests I think the Ken Fulghum (Randolph Machine) and the JJ from (JJ Industries) are far above the rest of them,....of course this is based on reading and talking with the builders of the rests and others but I have not used them personally (YET) another couple to look at would be the D. R. GREENLAW "B" model rest and maybe a perfect rest would be a VIPER with Butches top on it:cool: just some thoughts, good luck on your quest.
Wayne.
 
I am surprised that one of the very best Front Rests has not been mentioned. Bob Pastor a poster here on this board builds one of the very best "Custom" built front rest there is. You do yourself a big disservice if you don't at least take a look at the VIPER rest. And a big plus is the qaulity of the man doing the building, Bob is a great guy thats in addtion to his Rest building.

Roland
http://www.viperbench-rest.com/

Here is a photo of the rest Bob designed and built for me.
 

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Hombre0321 said:
I am surprised that one of the very best Front Rests has not been mentioned. Bob Pastor a poster here on this board builds one of the very best "Custom" built front rest there is. You do yourself a big disservice if you don't at least take a look at the VIPER rest. And a big plus is the qaulity of the man doing the building, Bob is a great guy thats in addtion to his Rest building.

Roland
http://www.viperbench-rest.com/

Here is a photo of the rest Bob designed and built for me.
Click to expand...
Roland,
I just did mention Bobs rests in the post just before yours, I did fail to mention he was just great to talk to and offered me with all the info I wanted and ask for, I will own one soon and install a quality windage top on it.
Wayne.
 
Jeepers this gets confusing. Many thanks for all the great help.

Some of these rests are wayyy beyond my current need. When I was talking Sinclair I was referring to their basic model without windage. Their basic Generation II for 300 bucks. I just need something solid I can work with that I won't have to replace in 3 or 5 years.

Have any of you used this model?

Thanks,
Steve
 
Steve,

I will go out on a limb here. If you're shooting anything but a competitive benchrest rifle, you'd be well-served finding a used Caldwell.

With regards to the pricey serious club, I'm pretty sure that you'd be able to go watch any open matches there.

FWIW, Greg J.
 
Steve3 said:
Jeepers this gets confusing. Many thanks for all the great help.

Some of these rests are wayyy beyond my current need. When I was talking Sinclair I was referring to their basic model without windage. Their basic Generation II for 300 bucks. I just need something solid I can work with that I won't have to replace in 3 or 5 years.

Have any of you used this model?

Thanks,
Steve
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No. Nor have I seen many at matches, though that doesn't mean a whole lot. Going way out on a limb here, get a Hart. A lot of aftermarket tops are made to fit the Hart (like the ShadeTree), so your original investment is protected. It is a good, solid, basic pedestal.

As for adjusting, a lot of matches have been won with a plain top and squeezing the rear bag for slight elevation/windage adjustments. In fact, if my old hands didn't cramp up after a while, I'd still shoot that way. The only bad habit you can develop with bag squeezing is a sort of flinch. Not out of rear, but expectation. Some guys will begin to relax or squeeze harder on the bag as they break the shot. That is a big no-no, of course.
 
Steve,
I have a Caldwell BR and although it isn't even close to top of the line in got me started in the game, I have been looking to upgrade also, I have been looking hard at the JJ or Randolf ( Ken Fulghum) but thats a lot more then your wanting to spend, I talked to Butch Lambert about his ShadeTree top on my Caldwell base and he said that works just fine except sometimes if having to shoot down hill it's hard to get low enough but by taking the mariner wheel off you can get another 3/4" lower and you don't need it with the coaxial top anyway, I am going to buy a good rest but I also plan on upgrading my caldwell with the shadetree, and that would be a inexpensive way for you to get started as well, I hope this helps some.
Wayne.
 
Dalek,
Was it hard to get used to the swivel top? Which top do you have, his adjustable or one for a standard 3" bag?
Wayne.
 
Charles E said:
The only bad habit you can develop with bag squeezing is a sort of flinch. Not out of rear, but expectation.
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Charles,
I think I have had the former type of flinch that you mention, and it has cost me some matches. How do I get rid of it?

(Sorry, it was just too tempting to pass up!)

Cheers,
Keith
 
mks said:
Charles,
I think I have had the former type of flinch that you mention, and it has cost me some matches. How do I get rid of it?
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Well, you could try selling it on ebay, but I'd doubt you'd get much. Other options are concentration, or giving up & getting a joystick.
 
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